Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 8:01 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 8:01 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL | Jonathan Cooper lost his shoe while delivering the block that sprung teammate Giovani Bernard for the first down that clinched North Carolina's season-ending win against Maryland.

A lot of seniors in his position would have used the opportunity to head for the sideline and get an early start on one final winning celebration.

Not Cooper.

Instead of helping dump Gatorade over the head of coach Larry Fedora, the 6-foot-3, 295-pound offensive guard hurriedly put his shoe back on and, after missing only one snap, got into position just in time for quarterback Bryn Renner to take a knee on the game's final play.

"It was very important to me," Cooper said. "I just felt like I needed to be out there for my final collegiate play."

Cooper's effort to finish his UNC career on the field rather than the sideline was a simple gesture that likely went unnoticed by most.

And yet, it was deeply symbolic of the commitment the Hoggard High School graduate and his fellow seniors made after the Tar Heels received a one-year postseason ban – among other sanctions – from the NCAA in March.

Because of the probation, all 17 upperclassmen could have transferred to other schools without having to sit out a year.

None did, primarily because of the solidarity of a "leadership council" led by the passionate, always positive Cooper.

"We had such a tight-knit group that had the potential to do such great things," Cooper said. "It was just kind of an understanding that we'd be back and we'd be working hard this year."

‘The sole leader'

That work paid off in an 8-4 overall record and a share of the ACC's Coastal Division championship in Fedora's first season at UNC.

Although the Tar Heels couldn't represent their division in last week's league championship and can't look forward to playing in a attractive bowl game, Cooper has been able to soothe his disappointment with an abundance of honors celebrating his individual performance.

He's won the ACC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the league's best offensive lineman. He's been selected as a first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association and CBS.

On Thursday night in Orlando, Cooper could bring home the biggest award of his already large haul when the winner of the Outland Trophy is announced as part of a made-for-television college awards gala. The show, complete with a red carpet reception straight out of Hollywood, is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Although the outgoing communications major isn't the favorite for the award, symbolic of the nation's best down lineman, he seems to be having the time of his life being a part of the process.

"I know I'm a (Division I football) player, but I might turn into a groupie if I see some of these big named players," he jokingly Tweeted from the award festivities on Wednesday.

Among the biggest names are the two other Outland finalists: Alabama center Barrett Jones, who also won the honor last year, and Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel. Even if Cooper doesn't become the first ACC player since N.C. State's Jim Ritcher in 1979 to bring it home, he's still a winner in the eyes of his teammates.

"He deserves everything he gets," Renner said. "He is the sole leader of this team. The biggest thing that he brings to the table is the desire to make everyone around him happy."

Just being himself

Of course, you'd never know it from the aggression with which he plays.

He set a school record by starting 47 games in his career, and Cooper graded out at 90 percent for his final season while leading the Tar Heels in knockdown blocks – including at least 10 in nine of his team's 12 games. His intimidating stature is topped by a flowing mane of braided hair.

But as the old saying goes, looks can be deceiving. With Cooper, all it takes is a flash of his ever-present smile and the sound of his trademark belly laugh to realize he's not really as ferocious as it might seem.

"I thought he was going to have a different personality, looking at him with the big stature and long dreads, but he's probably the nicest guy on this team," Renner said.

"We all know he's a great player, but even more importantly he's a great person," Fedora added. "He's always a pleasure to be around. He always sees the positives in everything."

That doesn't mean Cooper hasn't had his share of frustration during his time in Chapel Hill.

One of his most trying moments came early in his sophomore season, after he was switched to center by then-coach Butch Davis.

The experiment seemed to make sense and it promised to aid Cooper's already soaring NFL potential by allowing him to show his talents at a second position.

It became an unmitigated disaster when Cooper sent three errant snaps back to quarterback T.J. Yates against LSU in the nationally televised Chick-fil-A Classic. Cooper was pulled after a half and moved back to guard the following week.

"I'm much more comfortable at guard," he said. "I was glad to go back."

Dealing with adversity

That season was a difficult one for everyone in the UNC program because of the growing scandal that eventually led to the sanctions the Tar Heels are currently serving. Things only got worse the following year, when Davis was fired eight days before the start of fall practice.

But none of that seemed to bother Cooper. Neither did the questions from the folks back home or sanctions that cost him a bowl trip as the exclamation point on his standout college career.

Perhaps the reason is that he was exposed to disappointment at an early age.

As a youngster in Wilmington, he was told he was too big to play for his local rec football team.

It was a setback that could have sent him off in another, less constructive, direction. Instead, he bided his time until middle school, when he was finally allowed to put on a helmet and pads like his brothers.

By the time he got to Hoggard, where he helped the Vikings win a state championship in 2007, he had become one of the most sought-after prospects in the nation.

The word most often used to describe his combination of size, quickness and vision by coaches then – and now – is special.

"I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to coach a guy as special as he is," UNC offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic said. "It's a little disappointing for me that I only got to coach him for one year. Hopefully I've got a lot of years left to coach, but he's special. The thing about him is he doesn't know it."

If he hasn't figured out how good he is yet, it shouldn't take long for him to catch on.

It's not everyone, after all, that gets to walk down a red carpet at a national awards show with a chance to win the Outland Trophy or is projected by all the experts as a first-round pick in next spring's NFL Draft.

With all that ahead of him, you'd think Cooper would be anxious to turn the page on a college career he described as a road "full of lessons."

But the opposite is the case, as illustrated by his desire to get back onto the field at Kenan Stadium for just one more snap with the only group of people who know exactly what he's been through these past few years.

His teammates.

"That's what I'll miss the most," Cooper said in the aftermath of that final 45-38 win against Maryland. "These are the best times of my life, and the camaraderie and bond we had is something I'll never be able to replace.

"We fought through all the adversity this season and played our butts off. We were working not for a bowl game, but for each other and pride. I have no regrets."

For more on Cooper's night in Orlando, head to ACC.Blogs.StarNewsOnline.com.

<p>CHAPEL HILL | Jonathan Cooper lost his shoe while delivering the block that sprung teammate Giovani Bernard for the first down that clinched North Carolina's season-ending win against Maryland.</p><p>A lot of seniors in his position would have used the opportunity to head for the sideline and get an early start on one final winning celebration.</p><p>Not Cooper.</p><p>Instead of helping dump Gatorade over the head of coach Larry Fedora, the 6-foot-3, 295-pound offensive guard hurriedly put his shoe back on and, after missing only one snap, got into position just in time for quarterback Bryn Renner to take a knee on the game's final play.</p><p>"It was very important to me," Cooper said. "I just felt like I needed to be out there for my final collegiate play."</p><p>Cooper's effort to finish his UNC career on the field rather than the sideline was a simple gesture that likely went unnoticed by most.</p><p>And yet, it was deeply symbolic of the commitment the Hoggard High School graduate and his fellow seniors made after the Tar Heels received a one-year postseason ban – among other sanctions – from the NCAA in March.</p><p>Because of the probation, all 17 upperclassmen could have transferred to other schools without having to sit out a year.</p><p>None did, primarily because of the solidarity of a "leadership council" led by the passionate, always positive Cooper.</p><p>"We had such a tight-knit group that had the potential to do such great things," Cooper said. "It was just kind of an understanding that we'd be back and we'd be working hard this year."</p><h3>'The sole leader'</h3>
<p>That work paid off in an 8-4 overall record and a share of the ACC's Coastal Division championship in Fedora's first season at UNC. </p><p>Although the Tar Heels couldn't represent their division in last week's league championship and can't look forward to playing in a attractive bowl game, Cooper has been able to soothe his disappointment with an abundance of honors celebrating his individual performance.</p><p>He's won the ACC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the league's best offensive lineman. He's been selected as a first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association and CBS.</p><p>On Thursday night in Orlando, Cooper could bring home the biggest award of his already large haul when the winner of the Outland Trophy is announced as part of a made-for-television college awards gala. The show, complete with a red carpet reception straight out of Hollywood, is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. </p><p>Although the outgoing communications major isn't the favorite for the award, symbolic of the nation's best down lineman, he seems to be having the time of his life being a part of the process.</p><p>"I know I'm a (Division I football) player, but I might turn into a groupie if I see some of these big named players," he jokingly Tweeted from the award festivities on Wednesday.</p><p>Among the biggest names are the two other Outland finalists: Alabama center Barrett Jones, who also won the honor last year, and Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel. Even if Cooper doesn't become the first ACC player since N.C. State's Jim Ritcher in 1979 to bring it home, he's still a winner in the eyes of his teammates.</p><p>"He deserves everything he gets," Renner said. "He is the sole leader of this team. The biggest thing that he brings to the table is the desire to make everyone around him happy."</p><h3>Just being himself</h3>
<p>Of course, you'd never know it from the aggression with which he plays.</p><p>He set a school record by starting 47 games in his career, and Cooper graded out at 90 percent for his final season while leading the Tar Heels in knockdown blocks – including at least 10 in nine of his team's 12 games. His intimidating stature is topped by a flowing mane of braided hair.</p><p>But as the old saying goes, looks can be deceiving. With Cooper, all it takes is a flash of his ever-present smile and the sound of his trademark belly laugh to realize he's not really as ferocious as it might seem.</p><p>"I thought he was going to have a different personality, looking at him with the big stature and long dreads, but he's probably the nicest guy on this team," Renner said.</p><p>"We all know he's a great player, but even more importantly he's a great person," Fedora added. "He's always a pleasure to be around. He always sees the positives in everything."</p><p>That doesn't mean Cooper hasn't had his share of frustration during his time in Chapel Hill.</p><p>One of his most trying moments came early in his sophomore season, after he was switched to center by then-coach Butch Davis.</p><p>The experiment seemed to make sense and it promised to aid Cooper's already soaring NFL potential by allowing him to show his talents at a second position. </p><p>It became an unmitigated disaster when Cooper sent three errant snaps back to quarterback T.J. Yates against LSU in the nationally televised Chick-fil-A Classic. Cooper was pulled after a half and moved back to guard the following week.</p><p>"I'm much more comfortable at guard," he said. "I was glad to go back."</p><h3>Dealing with adversity</h3>
<p>That season was a difficult one for everyone in the UNC program because of the growing scandal that eventually led to the sanctions the Tar Heels are currently serving. Things only got worse the following year, when Davis was fired eight days before the start of fall practice.</p><p>But none of that seemed to bother Cooper. Neither did the questions from the folks back home or sanctions that cost him a bowl trip as the exclamation point on his standout college career.</p><p>Perhaps the reason is that he was exposed to disappointment at an early age. </p><p>As a youngster in Wilmington, he was told he was too big to play for his local rec football team.</p><p>It was a setback that could have sent him off in another, less constructive, direction. Instead, he bided his time until middle school, when he was finally allowed to put on a helmet and pads like his brothers.</p><p>By the time he got to Hoggard, where he helped the Vikings win a state championship in 2007, he had become one of the most sought-after prospects in the nation. </p><p>The word most often used to describe his combination of size, quickness and vision by coaches then – and now – is special.</p><p>"I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to coach a guy as special as he is," UNC offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic said. "It's a little disappointing for me that I only got to coach him for one year. Hopefully I've got a lot of years left to coach, but he's special. The thing about him is he doesn't know it."</p><p>If he hasn't figured out how good he is yet, it shouldn't take long for him to catch on.</p><p>It's not everyone, after all, that gets to walk down a red carpet at a national awards show with a chance to win the Outland Trophy or is projected by all the experts as a first-round pick in next spring's NFL Draft.</p><p>With all that ahead of him, you'd think Cooper would be anxious to turn the page on a college career he described as a road "full of lessons."</p><p>But the opposite is the case, as illustrated by his desire to get back onto the field at Kenan Stadium for just one more snap with the only group of people who know exactly what he's been through these past few years.</p><p>His teammates.</p><p>"That's what I'll miss the most," Cooper said in the aftermath of that final 45-38 win against Maryland. "These are the best times of my life, and the camaraderie and bond we had is something I'll never be able to replace.</p><p>"We fought through all the adversity this season and played our butts off. We were working not for a bowl game, but for each other and pride. I have no regrets."</p><p>For more on Cooper's night in Orlando, head to ACC.Blogs.StarNewsOnline.com.</p>